DeWitt - from Brown's Gazetteer - 1869

De Witt, the County Seat of Clinton County.  This little city as orignally intended, was admirably calculated to become a failure, for reason of its covering so large amount of land, and therefore failed to come up to the orignal intentions of becoming a city of note and importance.  It lies in a rich agricultural country, thickly surrounded by well-to-do farmers, upon a beautiful rolling prairie, only nineteen miles from Clinton, and one hundred and fifty-six west of Chicago.  Its low lands are fine grazing pastures for stock raising.

There are some fine buildings in the place, and is perhaps one of the most notable features; there are several church organizations and large buildings recently put up, which give it an inviting appearance.  The high school building, completed the past summer at an expense of twenty-three thousand dollars, is perhaps as prominent as any.  It was designed by Wm. Carroll, of Davenport, and built by Jacob Kellersing, of De Witt. Its dimensions are 23X52 and thirty-four feet high, the wings are each 30x34 and twenty-eight feet high, all of which is built from the best brick, and laid up in the highest style of mechanical art.  Its neat enclosure, convenient arrangements, and well furnished with all the modern improvements in the line of school room furniture, heated by steam, is pronounced by many to excel any in the State for the money.  From the graceful tower the sweet toned bell sends cheerful notes calling together four hundred and twenty cheerful faces, students.  The school board who prosecuted this enterprise to its successful completion, consists of Wm. Fuller, D. Whitney, C. Schlabach, H. Bairley, J. M. Gates, H. A. Fay and W. R. Ward.  The school is under the management of Mr. Charles Robinson, assisted by eight lady teachers, to whom much praise is given for the advancement and discipline of the school.

Of hotels, the Gates House takes the lead of all others, because Mr. Gates knows how to "keep a hotel."

This is another important grain station, having shipped during the month of September fifty-eight thousand bushels of grain.

From Brown's Gazetteer 1869

Alf, F., harness mkr., Jefferson	Averill, G. A., dentist, Jefferson
Bacchus, R., shoe mkr, Jefferson	Bairley & Scallan, grocers, Jefferson
Barr, Geo, jeweler	Barr & Co., jewelers, Jefferson
Beach, Geo, livery	Bloom, A., grocer, Jefferson
Bowers, H. T., deputy recorder	Boyd, J. H, M. D., (al) Jefferson
Bracelin & Kane, dry goods, Jefferson	Brown, J. W., atty, Jefferson
Brown & Layman Mrs., milliners, Jefferson	Buck & Milner, wagon mkrs, Harrison
Burrows, R., barber, cor Jefferson and Champaign	Butler & Bro., furniture dealers, Jefferson
Butterfield, D. G., grain, lumber and farm implements	Butterfield & Murphy, dry goods, Jefferson
Chardavoyne, Drew & Co., dry goods, Jefferson	Cleveland & Co., dry goods, Jefferson
Cogswell, A., shoe mkr, Jefferson	Cotton, J. C., baker, Jefferson
Cotton, W. A., atty, Jefferson	Craig J., mer tailor, Jefferson
Cranton, J. A., agr'l dealer, cor Jefferson and 6th	Cumming, A., founder, Jefferson
Dawson & Evans, druggists, Jefferson	DeWitt House, Jefferson
Dinehart, K., Milliner, Jefferson	Ellis & Wallace, grocers, Jefferson
Ernstdorf, J., cigar mkr., Jefferson	Fagan, J. D., recorder
Familton & Jordan, dry goods, Jefferson	Forbes & Rhodes, blacksmith, Harrison
Franklin House, cor Jefferson and Champaign	Fuller & Gates, billiard hall, Jefferson
Fuller & Leonard, wagon mkrs	Fuller, Wm., hardware, Jefferson
Gates, J. M., propr Gates House, cor Jefferson and Clinton	Gage, J. P., grocer, Jefferson
Goldsmith, J. E., clothing mer., Jefferson	Gould, J. E., fruit store, Jefferson
Hart, B. B., county surveyor	Hobbs & Small, grocers, Jefferson
Hogle, Robert, sheriff	Horner, J., millinery, Jefferson
Howard, N. B. County clerk	Hide, Thos., blacksmith, Harrison
Hubbard, E. P., grocer, Jefferson	Ill, M., shoemaker, Jefferson
Jacobs, G. M., dry goods, Jefferson	Johnson & Steward, livery, Jefferson
Jones, J., M. D., (al) Jefferson	Kelley & Saulter, meat mkt., Jefferson
Kern, R., restaurant, Jefferson	Kettenring, F. P., lumber mer, cor Church and Dodge
Langan & Bro., druggists, Jefferson cor Champaign	Latham, J., gunsmith, Jefferson
McErlain, J., propr, Travelers Home, cor Harrison and Main	McCracken, P. S., harness mkr, Jefferson
McErlain, J., billiard hall, Jefferson	McGarvey, A. J., dentist, Jefferson
Merrill, W. A., atty, Jefferson	Miles & Upton, agr'l dealers, Jefferson
Morgan, A. W., (al) Jefferson	Murphy & Bro, grocers, Jefferson
O'Brien, Wm., saloon, Jefferson	O'Brien & Bro, dry goods, cor Jefferson and Harrison
O'Mers, P., grocer, Jefferson	Osman, W. C., jeweler, Jefferson
Page & Riggs, dry goods, Jefferson	Patterson & Dawson, milliners, Jefferson
Percell, M., grocer, Jefferson	Plumb & Stahr, wagon mkrs, Harrison
Polley, J. C., atty, Jefferson	Quingley & Bro., grocers, Jefferson
Rule & Co., bakers, Jefferson	Runyon, H. A., duputy sheriff
Rutledge & Weaver, blacksmiths, Harrison	Ryan, E., grocer, Jefferson
Schlabach & White, boots and shoes, Jefferson	Shearer & Orr, shoe mkrs, Jefferson
Shoemaker, S. H., editor De Witt Observer, cor Jefferson and Chamber	Smith, J. B., barber, Jefferson
Steere, W. B., drugs, Jefferson	Stevens, A. B., hardware mer, Harrison
Talbot, W. H., hardware, Jefferson	Tylar, G. C., blacksmith, Harrison
Taylor, J. B., ins agt, Jefferson	Van Husans ---, photographer, Jefferson
Vary, W. E., M. D., (al) Jefferson	Waggoner, M. R., M. D., (h) Jefferson
Walker & Meredith, furniture dealers, cor Jefferson and 6th	Ward, W. R., grain, coal, salt and stock
Webb, J. B., druggist, Jefferson	Weymouth, W., hardware mer, JeffersonWheeler, K. W., dep'y clerk
Whitney, D., banker, Jefferson	Williams, Robt., county treasurer
Wood, J. W., P. M., Jefferson	Wright, P. C., banker and ex. agt, Jefferson
Young, G. B., county judge